Samsung's Patent Teases a Rollable Smartphone Design

Following the disastrous pre-launch of the Galaxy Fold last April, Samsung will once again attempt to redeem itself as the world's top smartphone innovator. This time, the South Korea-based electronics company reportedly filed a patent for rollable smartphone design.

“While the images show off a phone that appears fairly traditional at first glance, a closer look reveals it’s actually hiding a secret rollable display inside.”

Instead of a screen that folds at the middle – like the Galaxy Fold, the patent reveals a display with two internal rollers that roll up inside the body. This gives the device an odd form factor in portrait mode.

Samsung Galaxy Roll | Image Credit: Digital Trends

With the weird folding mechanism of the Galaxy Fold, you have to be wondering how the rolling experience would work.

According to BGR, Samsung placed a slider system at the phone’s core. That way, users can roll out an extra display that could offer at least a 60 percent increase in surface area.

Samsung may have placed the extendable display within a housing to protect it from external scratches and damages. To bring the screen out of its protective casing, users have to press a side button to activate a semi-automatic or automatic sliding system mechanism. Of course, it could also be a manual mechanism.

Aside from the rolling mechanism, the patent also revealed the multiple lenses camera system and an LED indicator at the receiver.

Samsung Galaxy Roll; Real or Just a Pipe Dream?

The Samsung Galaxy Roll – as tech enthusiasts are calling it – offers the same advantages as the Galaxy Fold. You’ll have a portable phone that unfolds, or in this case, unrolls into a tablet.

With this form factor, users can enjoy more features and additional functionalities without the extra weight or size.

However, most consumers are yet to wrap their heads around a foldable phone. So, creating a rollable form factor may be pushing it a bit too far.

With that said, Samsung may not use the rollable smartphone design in the nearest future. Instead, the company could explore the idea to create other electronic products.